November 18, 2011

Today i filled out my UT application. Actually, I am still on the part where you fill out your extra curricular activities, but I'm almost done. It took a long time because there are 9 pages to fill out, and I had to look up some stuff.

November 16, 2011

The application for Hillsdale is submitted because I can apply for free since I am doing it online. I can't submit Williams because I haven't paid the fee yet. I am applying to Hillsdale, Williams, The University of Chicago, The University of Denver, Duke, Princeton, UT, and UTD. I spent the rest of the time getting the posts actually posted online.

November 14, 2011

I haven't submitted applications yet because I wanted Mr. Templet to read them first, but he has read everything I currently plan to submit, so I will start submitting when I get home. Today, I added further development to the drafted sections of my research paper and I found some stats to support my claims. Things are going better, but I still hope to find a mentor.

November 11, 2011

Today I looked at example research papers on different topics, and I think I preparing mine correctly. This place called Abaline University said I could apply for free, so I filled out that application because the deadline was coming.

November 9, 2011

Today I worked on the section of my paper that involves having too much of a varied environment in special education classes. Then I looked back at the other sections I have written. That took the whole period.

November 7, 2011

Today I created a rough draft of the section of my paper that deals with insufficient intelligence testing in the special education system. I also looked over the submissions for Hillsdale and Williams because I am ready to submit them.

November 3, 2011

Today I planned the order of my paper and wrote down key points for each section. The order is as follows.
Introduction-introduce each problem that will be discussed.
Problems
1. poor intelligence testing
2. Too much of a varied environment
3. minority over-representation and language barrier

Solutions
1. pass an act that makes it more difficult for schools to place student in special education classrooms.
2. create an educational category to only include twice exceptional children.
3. increase teacher training and awareness to include interaction with all students that will be mainstreamed.
4. Institute a national review committee to eliminate self reporting.
I will think of each of these points as a short essay, and then put them together into a paper.

November 1, 2011

I spent mosh of the time today drafting possible entroductions to my paper. I'll just think of it as a series of short essays so I can feel better. I con't know exactly what order it will go in, but I was only working on the entroduction, so I'll worry about that next time. It's just that knowing I have something written down will make me worry less, which is why I chose to do what I did.

October 28, 2011

I am almost ready to start submitting applications. I have completely finished the Common App, and am currently working on the supplements. I'm not sure if I can change things for each college after I submit to one, if I have to pay for them all at once, or if I can get to the supplements of one after I have submitted my first application, so I'll have to figure that out. Mr. Villa suggested a mentor for me who works for the district with a background in psychology, so I'll email her and see what happens. Just so you know, I am not a picky person. Now I'll just be happy if I could find a mentor who has graduated college. They will at least have written a research paper. I have written essays, but they were nowhere near 25 pages. I have written stories longer than that, but that's different. I really hope I am doing this bibliography right. I just realized that some of the articles won't work because they are too oppinion based, so I'll have to find yet more. I also started my essay for Williams, but I am tired, and things really aren't running as smoothly as I would like.

October 26, 2011

I didn’t have enough articles, so I had to get more. Also, I invited some recommenders to the Common App. I couldn’t do that last time because I had to talk to them first. I am ready to start writing my paper, but I don’t know how to. Oh, that reminds me, I have narrowed my topic in a way that will allow me to express bias to a certain extent. I have decided that my paper will outline a solution to improve the defects in the Special Education system. The articles I have been locating deal with Special Educational procedure, issues faced by students and parents, and issues in the legislative system that impede the effectiveness of Special Education. I am learning a lot more, so I suppose that if I learn enough, I will somehow be able to organize my ideas and figure out how the actual written work should unfold. Again, a mentor would really be able to help with this, so any suggestions are welcome.

October 24, 2011

First, I went through my Common App to see what else I need to fill out. Then, I started the Texas Common App so I can apply to UT and UTD. Then I found more articles for my bibliography. I still have no mentor. I don’t want to do this project without one because I have never written a full blown research paper before, but I might have no choice. Next time, I have to actually put together my bibliography because I now just have the articles saved in my favorites.

October 20, 2011

Today I looked for some articles I can use in my bibliography. I am kind of stuck because I can't find a mentor and I am worried about what will happen if I can't find one. I know lots of people, but they are all busy and I haven't heard from many people about who I could contact. I emailed a professor at UNT that was recommended to me, but she hasn't responded, and if I could get her that would be really great because she has a PHD, and is legally blind. Therefore, she might have more empathy toward the topic, but her experience and educational background are what would help significantly.

October 18, 2011

I filled out and submitted an application to Guide Dogs for the Blind, called someone because I kept getting an error, called someone else who said she would give me the email address of a professor at UNT who might want to become my mentor. I didn't get the address because it was an answering machine, but I got the application submitted. I consider applying for a guide dog to be connected with the college entrance process, so I consider it okay to work on the application during thesis. The people will want an hour long phone consultation, and they're only open from 9 to 5, so I'll have to do it during this period or during art. My head hurts, I am still writing these posts with a word processor, but they aren't posted online yet. It's because I somehow switched it to some new updated interface that can only be accessed through use of the mouse, which means I can't use it.

October 14, 2011

Fair Day

October 11, 2011

Presentations

October 7, 2011

Trek

October 5, 2011

Trek

October 3, 2011

I have been preparing my presentation outline. I keep forgetting that YouTube is blocked, so I'll have to look for a video at home. I'm not good with power points, so I'll do everyone a favor by not making one of those.

September 29, 2011

Today, I did close to the same thing as last time. Yes I have been working, but writing and research takes a long time, and I've even been doing work at home. I think I'm getting a clearer picture of what's actually involved with this issue, so I'll have a clear direction for my initial presentation. For the next few weeks, we will be having Trek and initial presentations, so I'll just write trek or presentations for my post.

September 27, 2011

Today I worked on my college essays. The test Advocacy people surprisingly got back to me and I now have my score. I have also started doing more research for my thesis. I read blogs and online forums to gage the different awareness’s, thoughts, and views of the issue. Then I use scholarly articles to help validate or invalidate these viewpoints. That's basically what's been happening.

September 23, 2011

I was in Mr. Villa's office for most of the period dealing with getting everything together to mail to these scholarship people. Then I had to call all of these diffwent departments and stay on hold for a really long time. They said that my Stats test hasn't even been graded, and that they will get back to me inn monday. I am using a word processor to write this because the internet isn't working so I'll have jo post it later. I am to nervous to leave again, even though I am really thirsty because the substitute thought I left campus when I was actually in Mr. Villa's office.

September 21, 2011

I am still having trouble accessing this blog, even from the computer. When I try to go to it from Google, it reads error, and it freezes when I try to access it from Blogspot. Today, I applied for The Bennington Young Writers award, and considered how I want to narrow my topic. Maybe I should get two people with an identical "disability" where one is in Special Ed, but the other is mainstreamed. Then I could see which one does better. I have some potential mentors, so maybe when someone agrees to mentor me, they will help me with this.

September 19, 2011

Today I finally got my application submitted, and I called someone about sending my last letter of recommendation. I had to fill it out again because it doesn't like it if you save it and come back. It turns out that you have to put a 1 in front of the number, but the thing didn't say that. Now I just have to get the stuff I need to mail in and send it.

September 15, 2011

I spent the whole period filling out the online part of my Guild Scholar application, but I couldn't submit it because it wouldn't take the phone number. I don't know what's wrong. It says don't use dashes or parentheses, but I didn't. I tried to call the people, but they wouldn't answer because they're probably gone as they operate on Eastern standard time.

September 13, 2011

I felt like I was getting behind with thesis, so I spent most of the time working on my presentation. Maybe I should limit my topic to just blind people because I don't know a lot about other disabilities. All I know is that too many blind people do not reach their potential in the education system because of the bias against them. I also spent some time editing essays I am submitting to different scholarships.

September 9, 2011

Today I worked on securing information to apply for the Guild Scholar Award. Things were pretty hectic because I apparently need 3 letters of recommendation instead of two. I know, you can go on and on about looking at the application more carefully, but what's done is done. Anyways, I will have my 3rd letter in time, and I've also been working on my outline.